How to Sell Your Knitting at Craft Shows
Craft shows: 6 tips for selling your knitting
Craft shows are an ideal place for a knitter to sell her wares -- if she does her homework first. There's a lot to learn if you are going to make a profit selling your knitting at craft shows!
SELL YOUR KNITTING AT CRAFT SHOWS: 6 TIPS
1. Be organized. Well in advance of whatever craft shows you've booked, make sure your booth and other fees are paid in full, and make sure you have received and read all of the promo literature. Make lists, of: what you need to accomplish prior to the craft shows, your finished inventory, sale prices for all your goods, what you'll need to take with you on show day (eg., your business cards/holder, brochures, signage, black marker, pens, calendar, notebook, etc.).
2. Have an artistically appealing display. Make it colorful, but easy on the eyes, and easy for people to take it all in. Do a 'dry run' of your table display or booth at home before the show -- work out any 'glitches' ahead of time. And take pictures, so you'll remember how it worked on the mornings of your craft shows when you're in a hurry!
3. Plan some kind of contest or 'draw' so that folks who visit your booth have to fill out a form with their name, address, email address and phone number.
4. It's a good idea to be standing up and looking around once the doors open - it shows that you are interested in perspective customers as they come along. But it's also a good idea to be knitting, too, so that you are effectively demonstrating your craft!
5. Before the doors open to your craft shows, stand back and look carefully and critically at your booth as if you were a customer, and make the time to change anything that isn't 'right.' Also, remember - the purpose of your booth is to sell your knitting!
6. SMILE! Be friendly and helpful -- including when people make comments like, "Oh, I could make it myself cheaper than that!" If they could, they would ....and they wouldn't be traipsing around craft shows looking to buy goods. :-)
Craft shows are a great place to showcase your knitted goods - just make sure you are well prepared, and you'll find them profitable, too!